It has heretofore been proposed to make multiple compartment plastic containers with multiple finishes such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,729,553; 5,052,590; 5,135,702 and 5,223,245. It has also been proposed to make multiple compartment plastic containers with two halves of a finish which communicate with the multiple compartments as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,420. U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,536 proposed a single finish having passages communicating with the compartments which is made by injection molding a preform having two compartments which is thereafter blow molded.
Among the objectives of the present invention is to provide an improved multiple compartment plastic container having a single finish with multiple passages communicating with the multiple compartments and a novel method of making the multiple container.
In accordance with the invention, the multiple compartment plastic container comprises an injection molded finish having a circumferential wall and at least one diametrical wall dividing the finish into at least two passages and an extruded and blow molded body integrally attached to said finish and providing at least two compartments communicating with said passages. The container is made by injection molding a plastic finish having a circumferential wall and at least one diametrical wall dividing the finish in two or more passages, extruding a plastic tube with wall of the tube integral with circumferential wall of the finish and the diametrical wall, closing a blow mold about the tube, and blowing air into the tube through the finish to the confines of the blow mold.
Preferably, the step of injection molding the finish comprises providing a neck ring, a finish insert and a mold core including a blow pin within the neck ring. The mold core contour forms the diametrical dividing wall of the finish and the diametrical dividing wall of the finish is oriented by the mounting of the mold core assembly. In accordance with the preferred method, the neck ring is moved relative to the extruder to provide an integral tube and brought into position to form a space between the mold and neck ring prior to closing the mold halves. The neck ring is then lowered to the top of the mold as the molds are closing. The container is blown once the molds are closed and the neck ring head is moved down to the top of the mold. The container is blown through the mold core into all container chambers simultaneously. The mold halves pinch the tube upon closing to provide two chambers which are blown outwardly to form the container. The diametrical dividing wall of the finish is aligned in the same direction as the dividing rib in the mold cavity.